Automatic fishing tool



Dec. 18, R923.

7 A. IE. BRADY AUTOMATIC FISHING TOOL 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

Original Filed April 18,

A. E. BRADY Dec. 18 W23. 1,477,535

AUTOMATIC FISHING TOOL Original Filed April 18. 1922 2 fiheats sheet 2Patented Dee 18, 1923 t rh ifilll l l ARCHIE E. BRADY, OF HOUSTON,TEXAS, ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALE TO JAll/IESP. ROGERS, OF HARRIS COUNTY,TEXAS.

AUTGMATIC FISHING TOOL.

' Application filed April 1a, 1922, Serial no. 555,079.

To all whom 2'25 may concern.

Be it known that I, ARCHIE E. BRADY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State 5 of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in an Automatic FishingTool, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an automaticfishing tool.

One object of the invention is to provide a tool of the characterdescribed which is adapted to be attached to a string of pipe to be letdown into a well bore, and which is provided for the purpose of pickingup ol jec-ts at the bottom of the bore, In well drilling, bits, conesand other similar objects are often dropped in the bore and it is verydifficult to recover them. However they must be removed before drillingcan proceed and it is the object of this invention to pro vide anapparatus which may be attached to the lower end of the drill stem orother string of pipe and let down into the bore to engage with andrecover such objects als may lie on the bottom of the bore.

Vith the above and other objects-in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example bf which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows anenlarged vertical sectional view of the fishing tool.

Figures 2 and 3 show, respectively, a vertical sectional view, and aninside view of the grappling hooks employed.

Figure 4 shows a bottom plan view of the anchor block employed, showingthe locking ring associated therewith, and

Figures 5 and 6 show transverse sectional views taken on the respectivelines 55 and 66 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numeralsof reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral1 designates the cas- Renewed October 19, 1923.

ing which is set in the well bore. The numeral 2 designates the drillstem or other string of pipe to the lower end of which the fishing toolis attached. Threaded into the lower end of this drill stem there is acylindrieal anchor block 3 having a central bore i and the verticalwater passageways, 5 located out near the periphery of the block asshown and whose upper ends may be closed by the plugs 6.

The underside of the block 3 has the depending lugs 7, 7, arranged inpairs on opposite sides of the respective passageways 5, and pivotedbetween the lugs of the respective pairs, and depending therefrom arethe grappling hooks 8, arran ed in oppositely disposed pairs, the hooksof each pair being connected by the strong coil springs as 9, asillustrated in Figure 1. The shanks of these hooks are substantiallytubular and each has the inside vertical inside slot 10 at its lowerend, and the outside slot 11 at its upper end, as illustrated in Figures2 and 3. Said shanks also have the aligned vertical slots 12 whose lowerends are turned inwardly forming the recesses 18.

Working within the shanks of said grappling hooks are the push rods 14,whose, lower ends are inwardly curved and work through the slots 10 ofsaid shanks, and whose upper ends are formed into fingers 15 which arealigned with and adapted to work up through the water passageways 5.lVithin the shanks of the respective grappling hooks are the strong pullsprin s 16 whose lower ends are connected to the lateral ears 1? carriedby the corresponding push rods 14 and whose upper ends are attached toone of the corresponding lugs 7. Each push rod has a transverse bearingpin 18 projecting each way therefrom and whose ends work in therespective aligned slots 12.

Loosely surrounding the anchor block 3 there is a locking ring 19, whichis supported upon the dogs 20. These dogs are pivoted in the lower endsof the recesses 21 in the sides of said block. Secured to the outersides of the upper ends of the push rods 14 and working through theoutside slots 11 are the triggers 22 which are aligned underneath therespective dogs 20. The push rods 14- are held in their lower positionby seating bearing pins 18 in the recesses 13, as shown in Figure 1 andthe springs 16 are thereby held under tension. A central trip rod 23 isprovided, whose upper end is formed with a head which works incylindrical bore a. When the apparatus is set for lowering into a wellbore this trip rod projects down below the grappling hooks. Fastened onthis rod there is a collar 25 to which the inner ends of the links 26are pivoted and the outer ends ot' these links are pivoted to therespective grappling hooks. p

The device is assembled as shown in Figure 1 and is attached to thelower end of the string 2 and let down to the bottom of the bore. Whenthe lower end of the trip rod 23 reaches the object to be fished out ofthe bore its descent is stopped and as the device moves on dot n thelinks 26, acting as toggle levers will force the grappling hooks apart,and while in this position they move on down to the bottom or" the borebefore the collar 25 passes above the plane of the points of attachmentof the links to the grappling hooks, and when said collar has passedabove said plane the springs 9 will suddenly act to pull the grapplinghooks together and engage them under the object to be removed, the links26 assuming the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Thereuponsaid object will strike against the inwardly turned ends of the pushrods 14, and force said ends outwardly, unscating the pins 18 from therecesses 13, and the springs 16 will immediately act to suddenly projectsaid rods upwardly, and cause the fingers 15 to unseat the plugs 6, thusopening the water courses At the same time the triggers 22 will strikeagainst the dogs 20 and release them from underneath the ring 19 andSeat them in the recesses 21. The ring 19 will then drop around thegrappling hooks and hold them locked around the object to be recovered.The object within the grappling hooks will hold their lower ends apartsomewhat, causing them to diverge outwardly, and the ring will wedgethereover and be prevented from passing on entirely over said hooks.

It is to be noted that a pump at the surface of the ground is connectedto the stem 2 and while the upper ends of the water passageways 5 areplugged up said pump will not operate as the fluid can not pass from thestem, but as soon as said plugs 6 are unseated the pump will then workand this will indicate that the object to be fished out has been caughtwithin the grappling hooks.

Should the device tail to engage with the object sought to be recovered,that is should the grappling hooks open and then close above said objectthe push rods 10 would not be released and the plugs 6 would not beunseated and this would be indicated by the failure of the pump to work.In that event the tool should be elevated slightly in the bore, and thepressure of the fluid in the stem 2 will operate against the plunger 24and force the trip stem 23 downwardly into its original position and setthe device for another operation.

What 1 claim is 1. The combination with a string of pipe, of an anchor,grappling members dependin from the anchor, and movable into open andclosed position, means normally holding said members in closed position,a device for actuating said members into open position and thenreleasing them to the influence of said closing means, and a releasablymounted locking ring disposed when released to look around and securesaid grappling members in position.

2. The combination with a stringof pipe,

of an anchor attached to and closing the lower end thereof and providedwith a water passageway, means normally blocking said passageway,grappling members depending from said anchor and arranged toopen'andclose, a device arranged to open said members and then release them,means for closing said members when so released, a push rod aligned withsaid passageway, means locking the same against actuation and ayieldable member attached to said rod and disposed to actuate the samethrough said )assageway to remove said blocking means, when said lockingmeans is released.

J, 3. The combination with a string of pipe, of an anchor attachedthereto, grappling n embers depending from said anchor and arranged toopen and close, a device arranged open said members and then releasethem. means for closing said members when so; released, a locking ring,releasable supporting means whereby, said ring is supported above thegrappling members and means provided to automatically release saidsupporting means from said ring thereby permitting the ring t descendaround said grappling members.

4. The combination with a string of pipe of an anchor attached to andnormally closing the lower en d thereof and provided with waterpassageways, means normally blocking said passageways, grappling membersdepending from said anchor and arranged to open and close, a. devicearranged to open said members and then release them, means for closingsaid members when "so released, push rods aligned with said passageways,means normally locking said rods againstactuation, yieldab-le membersdisposed to actuate said rods, when released, through said passagewaysto remove said blocking In testimony whereof I have signed my means, alocking rlng, releasable means supname to this specification 1n thepresence of w porting said locking ring above said graptwo subscribingwltnesses.

p ling members and means carried by said 11 5 rods and operating torelease said support- ARCHIE BRADY ing means, when the rods areactuated, the-relVitnesses: by permitting said ring to drop around saidW. H. DUNLAY,

L. M. HooK.

grappling members.

